The Doctor's Family - Chapter 12
'The Doctor’s Family' (1861) by Scottish author Margaret Oliphant is a beautifully observed Victorian novella, set in the fictional English town of Carlingford, a little out from London. In Chapter Twelve, following Fred’s death, life at the cottage slips back into its old patterns. Nettie continues carrying the household on her shoulders while Susan settles into a display of mourning. When Dr Edward Rider visits, he hopes the tragedy might finally free Nettie from her exhausting duties. Instead, he finds her bound tighter than ever to her sister and the children. A brief moment of closeness between them is quickly ruined, and both realise that nothing can change, while Nettie’s responsibilities remain so entrenched. The doctor leaves miserable, and Nettie quietly returns to the life she feels honour-bound to continue... Find the full Playlist for "The Doctor's Family".
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